Sheriff: Coal Hill man killed in hunting mishap

Sheriff Jimmy Dorney says Thomas Edward Sears, who went by the name Eddie, was walking along a trail beside Horsehead Creek on Wednesday afternoon when he was shot.

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By Associated Press

Stuttgart Daily Leader - Stuttgart, AR

By Associated Press

Posted Nov. 30, 2012 at 9:01 AM
Updated Nov 30, 2012 at 9:03 AM

By Associated Press

Posted Nov. 30, 2012 at 9:01 AM
Updated Nov 30, 2012 at 9:03 AM

COAL HILL, Ark.

The Johnson County sheriff says a 43-year-old man is dead after he was shot by a man who mistook him for a deer.

Sheriff Jimmy Dorney says Thomas Edward Sears, who went by the name Eddie, was walking along a trail beside Horsehead Creek on Wednesday afternoon when he was shot.

Authorities say a man was sitting in a swing in his backyard when he saw movement across the creek from his residence. The sheriff says the resident retrieved a rifle and fired one shot at what he thought was a deer.

The resident found Sears dead of a gunshot wound when he went to investigate. The shooting death remains under investigation.

The sheriff says authorities do not know why Sears was walking on the trail.